Humana Cooking Demo: September 7, 2023

Today's recipes: Baked Turkey Meatballs, Sheet Pan Roasted Ratatouille, and Cauliflower Rice.

Today we focused on foods to boost digestion.  The best way to improve digestion and gut health is to focus on eating a variety of foods and preparation methods.  

Food variety can be achieved through totally different foods (tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers) or by uses different colors and varieties of a food (red, yellow, and green bell peppers OR gala, honeycrisp, and golden delicious apples).

Using different cooking and preparation methods also adds variety to your diet (raw and steamed for vegetables, raw and juiced for fruits).  In terms of digestive health, cooking fruits and vegetables helps to break down hard to digest fibers and makes the nutrients more available to your cells.  

The Baked Turkey Meatball Recipe is simple and delicious.  Make a double batch and freeze after cooking.  Then you have a quick grab-and-go protein when you are pressed for time or "don't know what to eat".  

The Sheet Pan Roasted Ratatouille combines a colorful collection of late summer vegetables with herbs, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to create a flavorful dish that can be used as a side, served with pasta or rice, or combined with scrambled eggs for a healthy breakfast!  In addition to providing flavor, the vinegar contains probiotics and acetic acid which helps in the digestion process!  Although it is optional, topping the mixture with some crumbled goat cheese adds more flavor, cuts out any bitterness of the eggplant, and adds creaminess.  Plus, goat milk is easier on digestion than cow's milk for some individuals. (My favorite goat cheese is the plain variety from Aldi.)

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, and Brussels sprouts are great for digestion and overall health.  You should aim for a serving everyday!  Today I demonstrated how to make your own cauliflower rice, but you can also find it premade in the freezer section of the grocery store (just make sure cauliflower is the only ingredient on the package).  You can eat the rice raw, but steaming or lightly sauteing will bring out more flavor and break down some of the harder to digest nu

If you have any questions, let me know, and be sure to share if you make these recipes at home!